00:00Six new lawmakers from the opposition Taiwan People's Party reported for duty on Tuesday,
00:06including China-born Li Zhenxiu.
00:08Her appointment has raised concerns about her loyalties and what it means for Taiwan
00:13if Chinese citizens can serve in the government.
00:17Our reporter Tiffany Wong was at the swearing-in ceremony and now joins us live from the legislature in Taipei.
00:23Tiffany, tell us what you saw today.
00:24Hi, Laurel. Well, today we saw history being made as Li Zhenxiu of the Taiwan People's Party
00:34was sworn in as the first person with Chinese citizenship to serve in Taiwan's legislature.
00:39This comes amid heated public debate over whether Li is even eligible to hold office because of her nationality.
00:46And in her first media interview, she tried to address those concerns,
00:50stressing that her loyalties lie with the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name.
00:57I'm not born in Taiwan, but when I came to Taiwan, I was born and born and born and born and born and born and born.
01:03I've been living in Taiwan for over 30 years. My five children are Taiwanese people.
01:09I've been living in Taiwan for a long time.
01:12Li said that she tried to renounce her People's Republic of China citizenship last year, but was unsuccessful.
01:28And she says that like many before her, her application was rejected because China does not recognize Taiwan as a separate country.
01:35But still, some lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party are sounding the alarm.
01:40And they say that allowing Li to serve could pose national security risks as being a lawmaker would give her access to some sensitive information.
01:49And they say that this is a legal, not a political issue.
01:53And they're urging the government to enforce relevant laws.
01:58So Li was not able to give up her Chinese citizenship.
02:01What happens next?
02:05Well, what comes next is a response from the Interior Ministry.
02:11Currently, there is a legal discrepancy because there are two laws that govern whether a Chinese citizen can run for office in Taiwan and also whether they can actually serve.
02:22Now, Li fulfills the requirements of the Cross-Strate Act, which says that China-born residents can run for election 10 years after moving their household registration,
02:32which is the physical address where they live, from China to Taiwan.
02:36But the Nationality Act prohibits anyone with dual citizenship from holding office in Taiwan.
02:42And under this law, Li would have to apply to give up her foreign citizenship before taking office and also provide proof of success within a year of service.
02:50But here, Li seems to have only partially fulfilled the requirement as she has tried to apply but has not been successful.
02:58And so potentially that means she could be removed after a year in office.
03:03Previously, a China-born local village chief was also removed from office after a year due to a similar situation.
03:10And now, it's too early to know whether Li will also meet the same fate, but we will be keeping an eye out for further developments.
03:20Thanks, Tiffany.
03:21That was our reporter Tiffany Wong, live from the legislature.
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